Whether you are selling toothpaste or tyres, you must first ensure that customers know your product exists and then convince them that your product is the best value!

The US tyre retailing, like other industries, will benefit from rising business activity as the economy recovers from the downturn resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Relatively high levels of consumer spending are anticipated to return this year, and demand for replacement tyres is projected to grow over the next five years in line with the overall economy. At present, the US tyre retailing industry comprises about 39,000 businesses with over USD 40 billion in annual sales. The global tyre sales are estimated to be approximately USD 270 billion in 2022.

The tyre retailing industry is highly competitive, as product choices are limited, and services needed by customers are often identical. Tyre dealers end up competing based on brand offering, service reputation, price, location and other incentives. 

Most tyre retailing is done through independent shops, both privately-owned small businesses and large corporations who own a chain of stores. Independent dealers can sell every line of tyres available, fulfilling customers' desire for choice. A few OEM-owned tyre shops, such as Bridgestone/Firestone and Goodyear stores, and auto dealers also try to sell replacement tyres. While privately-owned small outlets offer more personalised service, large chains benefit from marketing support, purchasing power, consumer financing options, and other benefits supplied by the corporate umbrella.

The trend seems to be that the number of purely independent small dealerships will decline. Consider the rising expenses just to stay up to date, including the tools, talent, training and technology required to continue to service increasingly sophisticated vehicles. The increasing pressure on small retailers is viewed as a natural evolution of any industry, forcing owners and managers to make necessary changes – and tough decisions – to survive and thrive. As a result, regional and national mega dealerships are continuing to expand their footprints through acquisition or starting new sites.

Marketing

The sustainability of every retailer depends on marketing. First, your customer needs to know that you exist, and for that, you need to advertise. There are many ways of advertising – direct mail, ads in print/audio/video and social media. Advertising costs money and the effectiveness of an ad campaign should be measured through the bottom-line result it generates. One 30-second TV ad during the American Super Bowl game in February 2022 cost each advertiser a cool USD 6.5 million! But considering that the ad reached 112.3 million TV viewers, it could be considered a good ad value. On the other hand, if a retailer spends even a dollar for an ad but does not reach a single potential buyer, it has cost too much!

While a well-designed website is a must, how do you ensure that your website pops up prominently when a potential customer is searching for the type of product or service you offer? Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the practice website owners need to use to rank higher in the search engine's ranking process and draw more traffic to their website. After you have the attention of potential customers, educate them about the value you offer and convince them that they would lose if they do not use your product or service.

One success story

Bruce T Halle opened his first Discount Tire store in 1960, renting an old building in Ann Arbor, Michigan and began as the sole employee with a six-tyre inventory. His founding principles – treat people with respect and fairness, care for those in need, always do what is right, work hard, be responsible and have fun – have helped the chain grow to be the largest independent tyre and wheel retailer in the US, operating more than 1,100 stores in 35 American states. The chain claims they will not be undersold and strives to deliver the lowest price on all tyres and wheels they carry. When a customer finds a lower price, they beat the competition's lower installed price and ensure that the customer gets the best deal. The chain works hard to provide unexpected experiences that delight their customers and thus keeps them coming back. All tyres sold come with FREE prorated coverage, meaning that the customer gets credit towards a new tyre when a tyre has become non-repairable due to a road hazard. Customers also get FREE lifetime rotation, balancing and repair. Additionally, they offer a customer-friendly tyre replacement programme called the Certificate for Repair, Refund or Replacement. With this certificate, when a tyre fails within three years of purchase due to a defect or a non-repairable road hazard damage and still has legal tread (3/32") remaining across the tyre, the customer gets a refund of the full purchase price, with the option to purchase the same new or comparable tyre at the refund price. With all these delighters, no wonder this tyre retailer has seen solid growth. 

Every retailer, no matter what it sells, must strive to delight the customer with 'extras'!

The future

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused supply chain issues and forced all industries to overhaul their information-technology systems for better customer service and inventory management. While this is an added cost of doing business, it could be offset through better productivity. Additionally, tyre OEMs and retailers need to be ready to tackle the upcoming market disruption – electric vehicles – which needs specialised tyres to begin with; moreover, these tyres are expected to wear faster due to higher battery weight and quicker acceleration of these vehicles. 

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Tegeta Green Planet and Shine Energy, both affiliated with Tegeta Holding, have launched a joint educational initiative to raise environmental awareness and a sense of responsibility among young people. The project addresses modern challenges such as environmental protection and sustainable development.

Company representatives are visiting schools across Tbilisi to hold informational meetings, presentations and workshops. The programme begins with presentations, followed by interactive games and activities designed to help students retain the information. At the end of each session, participants receive symbolic gifts and prizes as motivation.

Tegeta Green Planet focuses on teaching students the principles of specific waste management, including how to properly handle used tyres, batteries and oils. The sessions explain why proper waste management is essential for environmental protection and how it connects to the circular economy. Meanwhile, Shine Energy educates young people on the importance of energy, its everyday use and why developing renewable and sustainable energy resources is crucial.

The initiative is not limited to schools. In the near future, both organisations will expand their efforts to universities, aiming to broaden awareness about environmental protection, waste management and energy efficiency. The ultimate goal is to foster environmentally responsible attitudes among the younger generation, helping build a more sustainable and conscious society.

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Zeon has been recognised as a Supplier Engagement Leader in the 2025 Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA) conducted by CDP, a United Kingdom-based international environmental nonprofit organisation. This achievement represents the first time the company has received the highest possible rating in this assessment.

The evaluation measures how corporations address climate change within their supply chains, focusing on responses to the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire across five critical areas. These include governance, emissions targets, Scope 3 emissions management, risk management and overall supplier engagement strategies.

Zeon earned the top rating for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through supplier collaboration, a group-wide initiative, alongside continuous dialogue maintained via procurement activities. Guided by its philosophy of contributing to planetary preservation and human prosperity, Zeon remains committed to sustainable management. The company reaffirmed that it will continue working with suppliers and other stakeholders to tackle climate change and meet societal expectations.

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German chemical group WACKER has announced a price increase of up to 15 percent for its resins, dispersions and dispersible polymer powders produced at its European and US facilities. The adjustment takes effect on 1 June 2026, or as existing customer contracts permit. The move is designed to allow the company’s Polymers division to maintain high product quality, deliver technological innovations and provide superior customer service and technical support. It will also support investments aimed at securing future growth in key markets.

Rising costs for raw materials and logistics have forced the pricing measure, with the Polymers division being particularly affected. The recent conflict in the Middle East has caused significant disruptions across global commodity markets. As a direct result, prices for energy, raw materials and transportation have climbed sharply.

Despite the increase, WACKER remains focused on sustaining its commitment to customer support and long-term capability. The company underscored that the adjustment is necessary to continue meeting market demands while ensuring operational stability and future-oriented development across its focus markets.

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Pirelli North America has launched its first closed-loop circular recycling initiative, marking a significant step in the company’s broader strategy to increase recycled and bio‑based content in its tyre production. The project has received the Tire Recycling Foundation’s Value Chain Collaboration Award.

The programme recovers scrap tyres generated during Pirelli’s own North American manufacturing process. These materials are sent to Bolder Industries, which applies ISCC PLUS‑certified pyrolysis technology to produce BolderBlack recovered carbon black. Pirelli then reintroduces this material into new tyre production at its North American facilities, partially replacing virgin carbon black. The effort is part of a wider Pirelli plan to expand such industrial ecosystems across the group’s production network, aiming to valorise waste by reintegrating recovered materials into tyre manufacturing.

Beyond the award, the initiative reflects Pirelli’s broader circularity approach, which includes ongoing work to boost recycled and bio‑based material usage. The company targets over 80 percent bio‑based and recycled content in its best‑performing products and forty percent in total production by 2030.

Claudio Zanardo, CEO, Pirelli North America, said, "The Rome plant is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in Pirelli. This initiative reflects an approach focused on increasing the use of recovered materials within existing production processes. It is part of a broader effort to gradually integrate raw materials derived from recycled resources into our products while maintaining consistency in performance and quality."

Tony Wibbeler, CEO, Bolder Industries, said, "Our collaboration demonstrates that a traceable, mass-balance approach to tyre-to-tyre circularity is not only achievable, but it's ready to scale inside a premium manufacturing environment, meeting real performance and certification requirements at every step. This is the kind of progress the industry has been working toward for many years."

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